A good night’s sleep can prove to be the perfect diet

What if staying slim was as easy as getting a good night’s sleep? A Valley sleep expert weighed in on the question.

“When you don’t get the right amount of sleep, seven to nine hours, your hormones get out of whack,” said Lauri Leadly with Valley Sleep Centers. “People are sacrificing sleep.

“Sleep is the main restorative tool for our brains, which regulates our metabolism and our hormones.”

Leadly added that a lack of sleep drives people to crave sugar, caffeine and other junk food.

Researchers have identified two hormones related to weight gain and sleep: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin tells you when to eat and when you’re tired you have more of it. Leptin on the other hand, tells you when to stop eating, and when you’re tired you have less of it.